Ditty Wah Ditty
Ry Cooder Lyrics

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(Arthur Blake)

There's a great big mystery
And it sure is worrying me
It's a ditty wah ditty
Mister ditty wah ditty
I wished somebody would tell me what ditty wah ditty means

I went out and walked around
Somebody yelled, "Now who's in town ?"
Mister ditty wah ditty
Mister ditty wah ditty
I wished somebody would tell me what ditty wah ditty means

Some little girl 'bout four-feet-four
Said, "Come on, papa, and gimme some mo'"
Your ditty wah ditty
Your ditty wah ditty
I wished somebody would tell me what ditty wah ditty means

I went to church, put my hat on the seat
A lady sat on it and said, "Daddy you sho' is sweet"
Mister ditty wah ditty
Mister ditty wah ditty
I wished somebody would tell me what ditty wah ditty means

I said, "Sister, I'll soon be gone
Just give me that thing that you're sitting on"
My ditty wah ditty
Mister ditty wah ditty
I wished somebody would tell me what ditty wah ditty means

Then I got put outta the church
'Cause I talked about ditty wah ditty too much
Mister ditty wah ditty

Mister ditty wah ditty
I wished somebody would tell me what ditty wah ditty means

Overall Meaning

Ry Cooder's "Ditty Wah Ditty" is a traditional country-blues song originally written by Arthur Blake. The lyrics of the song revolve around the confusion and bewilderment of the singer over the meaning of the phrase "ditty wah ditty". The song follows the singer as he goes about his day-to-day affairs, encountering different people who use the phrase in various contexts.

The song begins with the singer expressing his worry and curiosity over the mystery of the phrase, which he hears people using all around him. He goes out and walks around and someone calls out his name, calling him "Mister ditty wah ditty," further adding to his confusion. The singer then encounters a little girl who asks him for more of his "ditty wah ditty," and a lady who comments on him being sweet, using the phrase again.

Eventually, the singer asks the lady for what she's sitting on, and when he makes a remark about his "ditty wah ditty," he gets kicked out of the church. Throughout the song, the phrase "ditty wah ditty" is used as a slang term that seems to mean different things in different contexts, much to the confusion of the singer. The song seems to be a commentary on the nature of language and slang, and how they can be difficult to understand and decipher.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a great big mystery
There is something that is unknown and puzzling

And it sure is worrying me
It's causing me to be anxious and concerned

It's a ditty wah ditty
It's a phrase that is repeated but has no clear meaning

Mister ditty wah ditty
A way of addressing the unknown, puzzling phrase

I wished somebody would tell me what ditty wah ditty means
I want someone to explain what the confusing phrase means

I went out and walked around
I went for a walk outside

Somebody yelled, "Now who's in town ?"
Someone called out, wondering who has arrived

Some little girl 'bout four-feet-four
A young girl who is short in stature

Said, "Come on, papa, and gimme some mo'"
She asked her father for more of something

Your ditty wah ditty
Referring to the same phrase heard earlier

I went to church, put my hat on the seat
I attended a religious service and placed my hat on a chair